It was 10:25 on the 12th January 2011 and I was about to cross over into Namibia for the first time in 24 years and 9 months.
The difference this time was that I was crossing the border in my own vehicle and using a passport and not a military issued travel voucher and a C130 'Flossie' accompanied by a gut-wrenching spiral drop from thirty thousand feet into Ondangwa Air Force Base, and of course the country was no longer South West Africa, it is now called Namibia.
As my family and I drove through Namibia there was no sense of nostalgia, or any sense of 'history' if that makes any sense because I had never been to places like Gobabis, Windhoek, Swakopmund or even Okahandja and Otjiwarongo. I knew that the SADF had had bases at the last two places, but they meant nothing to me, they had never been a part of my life.
But as we travelled from East to West across the country, my gaze would always turn to the North accompanied by thoughts of what I was going to find once I got there after 25 years.
The difference this time was that I was crossing the border in my own vehicle and using a passport and not a military issued travel voucher and a C130 'Flossie' accompanied by a gut-wrenching spiral drop from thirty thousand feet into Ondangwa Air Force Base, and of course the country was no longer South West Africa, it is now called Namibia.
As my family and I drove through Namibia there was no sense of nostalgia, or any sense of 'history' if that makes any sense because I had never been to places like Gobabis, Windhoek, Swakopmund or even Okahandja and Otjiwarongo. I knew that the SADF had had bases at the last two places, but they meant nothing to me, they had never been a part of my life.
But as we travelled from East to West across the country, my gaze would always turn to the North accompanied by thoughts of what I was going to find once I got there after 25 years.
It was only when we arrived In Grootfontein that I began to get that 'been here before' type of feeling, although I had never been to Grootfontein in my life until that point either. The first time that I heard of Grootfontein was shortly before I left SAMS for my first border tour; Grootfontein was where most troops ended up for what was called 'acclimatisation'. We all knew what acclimatisation was in military terms and I wasn't overly keen on paying the place a visit, nor did I... luckily.
Now that I was actually in Grootfontein I had visions of brown clad troops hustling all over the place, the railway station packed with troop trains and flatbeds full of trucks and equipment, there were a few troops but they were NDF troops and the railway looked quiet and forlorn.
I saw no signs of where any of our former military bases might have been and not knowing where they had been in the first place I had no idea where to even start looking.
We were due to head out for Etosha for a few days and decided to stop for a cup of coffee; across the road we saw this office. It shouldn't have been but it was a surprise.
Now that I was actually in Grootfontein I had visions of brown clad troops hustling all over the place, the railway station packed with troop trains and flatbeds full of trucks and equipment, there were a few troops but they were NDF troops and the railway looked quiet and forlorn.
I saw no signs of where any of our former military bases might have been and not knowing where they had been in the first place I had no idea where to even start looking.
We were due to head out for Etosha for a few days and decided to stop for a cup of coffee; across the road we saw this office. It shouldn't have been but it was a surprise.
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We took a day out of our trip to Etosha to indulge in my urge to re-visit old places. Along the way I tried to explain to our 18 year old who was who and what the Red Zone had been.
I attempted to explain to her that SWAPO had been the 'bad guys - terrs' (no disrespect implied) but that today they were the Government of the country. She was very quick to pick up on the political aspect of the overall issue that it eventually became, but to try and now explain who PLAN was...well I didn't think that boat was going to float, it would have confused her even more.
I explained that the Red Zone was a sector of the country that had been declared dangerous because of all of the war activity going on. For somebody that had not even been born at the time it was a difficult concept for her to imagine. As the trip continued I started to get that strange feeing in the pit of my stomach, nerves?!
As we passed through the Police/Animal checkpoint at Oshivello, my stomach gave a lurch as I noticed a sign for an electrical supply company. I was now able to show our 18 year old what the Red Zone was.
I attempted to explain to her that SWAPO had been the 'bad guys - terrs' (no disrespect implied) but that today they were the Government of the country. She was very quick to pick up on the political aspect of the overall issue that it eventually became, but to try and now explain who PLAN was...well I didn't think that boat was going to float, it would have confused her even more.
I explained that the Red Zone was a sector of the country that had been declared dangerous because of all of the war activity going on. For somebody that had not even been born at the time it was a difficult concept for her to imagine. As the trip continued I started to get that strange feeing in the pit of my stomach, nerves?!
As we passed through the Police/Animal checkpoint at Oshivello, my stomach gave a lurch as I noticed a sign for an electrical supply company. I was now able to show our 18 year old what the Red Zone was.
We reached Ondangwa just after lunch, the trip had taken us longer than I had anticipated and it meant that I wasn't going to be able to get up to Oshikango as planned. The round trip from where we were staying to where I knew Etale to be was over 500Km.
As I drove through the town, parts of which I had never seen before, I looked around for signs of any of the former military bases but couldn't find any. We came to the turn-off to Eenhana. I had only been to Eenhana once before and knew very little of the place. I would however, run into some of their troops at 53 BN on occasion. I drove on looking for the signpost to Oshikango, the sites of 53 BN and the Ondangwa AFB. I found all three.
If my memory serves me correctly, where 53 BN HQ once stood is now the Ondangwa Protea Hotel and next door to it is a small shopping centre which I think may also have been part of the base. On the opposite side of the road where once stood the AFB, there was...nothing!
Not a sign of the AFB or the transit camp remained.
As I drove out of Ondangwa onto the Oshikango road I looked back over my shoulder and in the distance I could see some old and large buildings which could have been hangars, but that was it. The AFB was gone.
As I drove through the town, parts of which I had never seen before, I looked around for signs of any of the former military bases but couldn't find any. We came to the turn-off to Eenhana. I had only been to Eenhana once before and knew very little of the place. I would however, run into some of their troops at 53 BN on occasion. I drove on looking for the signpost to Oshikango, the sites of 53 BN and the Ondangwa AFB. I found all three.
If my memory serves me correctly, where 53 BN HQ once stood is now the Ondangwa Protea Hotel and next door to it is a small shopping centre which I think may also have been part of the base. On the opposite side of the road where once stood the AFB, there was...nothing!
Not a sign of the AFB or the transit camp remained.
As I drove out of Ondangwa onto the Oshikango road I looked back over my shoulder and in the distance I could see some old and large buildings which could have been hangars, but that was it. The AFB was gone.
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As we left Ondangwa on the Oshikango road I reset the odometer, I knew exactly how far I had to go, 43km. The last time I had driven a vehicle on this road it had been a Samil 50.
As I drove I looked around, 20 odd years had brought about changes, as could only be expected, but the changes weren't that big that I couldn't recognise where I was. Back in the day there had been no small villages cluttering up the sides of the road for example, now there were at least three or four small vilages where we had to reduce speed. And of course there was traffic on the road now, the only traffic on the road back then were military vehicles, in fact that whole stretch of road had been a somewhat lonely and desolate place to be travelling back in '85 and '86.
I had to grin as we passed several laybyes complete with benches and concrete tables for the weary traveller. 10km outside of Ondangwa we passed Delta tower and soon after that Charlie tower came into view. Memories came flooding back. It was just north of Charlie tower that we went out looking for insurgents at one in the morning after a failed attempt at blowing up the road, it was also where the little boy blew his arm off after he discovered what a 40mm snotneus round does. Memories as fresh as if they had happened the day before. Below are two photos of Charlie Tower.
As I drove I looked around, 20 odd years had brought about changes, as could only be expected, but the changes weren't that big that I couldn't recognise where I was. Back in the day there had been no small villages cluttering up the sides of the road for example, now there were at least three or four small vilages where we had to reduce speed. And of course there was traffic on the road now, the only traffic on the road back then were military vehicles, in fact that whole stretch of road had been a somewhat lonely and desolate place to be travelling back in '85 and '86.
I had to grin as we passed several laybyes complete with benches and concrete tables for the weary traveller. 10km outside of Ondangwa we passed Delta tower and soon after that Charlie tower came into view. Memories came flooding back. It was just north of Charlie tower that we went out looking for insurgents at one in the morning after a failed attempt at blowing up the road, it was also where the little boy blew his arm off after he discovered what a 40mm snotneus round does. Memories as fresh as if they had happened the day before. Below are two photos of Charlie Tower.
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We continued to drive and as we did so the layout of the road came back to me. I looked at the odometer and knew that we were close. As I took a bend to the left I recalled that I should be able to see the radio mast and the water tanks as we approached, but with overgrown bush and buildings now in the way I wondered if I would. As I had the thought I looked to my right and blurted out 'There it is!'
I could see a radio mast which I'm pretty certain wasn't the same one as was there 25 years ago but the water tanks were, where once the base wall could be seen from the road, now there was just bush. I slowed down and at the urging of my family turned off onto the Etale base road for the first time in 25 years.
My first thought was that the road had gone to pot. It had once been smoother than the tar road now it had potholes in it from the rain. The bush had grown over where once there had been no bush at all obviously for security reasons.
As I drove up the road I vaguely remembered the kraal which was on my right but I definately remembered the cuca shop which was on my left. Outside sat a young woman with an elderly woman, I waved, surprised that the shop was still there. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of it.
I could see a radio mast which I'm pretty certain wasn't the same one as was there 25 years ago but the water tanks were, where once the base wall could be seen from the road, now there was just bush. I slowed down and at the urging of my family turned off onto the Etale base road for the first time in 25 years.
My first thought was that the road had gone to pot. It had once been smoother than the tar road now it had potholes in it from the rain. The bush had grown over where once there had been no bush at all obviously for security reasons.
As I drove up the road I vaguely remembered the kraal which was on my right but I definately remembered the cuca shop which was on my left. Outside sat a young woman with an elderly woman, I waved, surprised that the shop was still there. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of it.
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As we got to the bend in the road, which was directly opposite the cleared area between the wall and the base outer fence I noticed the overgrowth of bush.
In '85 it had been free of any bush and just sand, at the top end of this clearing was where we used to have the shooting pit. In the book Ops Medic this is the ground that we looked out over the night we thought that we were being attacked, as luck would have it we had a casevac at the same time. The chopper managed to get off but we then had to report to our bunker. I was now staring over the very same piece of ground again, this time from a different angle and a very different view.
As I followed the road I had this very strange hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach and for the life of me I am at a loss to explain it.
I looked to my left as I drove slowly and pinpointed places along the wall that held memories, some of which are related in the book Ops Medic. I could only get brief glimpses inside the base where the wall had fallen in and of course I could see the tops of some of the buildings and the command centre. Coming around the bend though, the first thing that came into view, as I knew it would, was the north-west bunker. Dead men had lain there, those killed during Operation Boswilger in June 1985.
In '85 it had been free of any bush and just sand, at the top end of this clearing was where we used to have the shooting pit. In the book Ops Medic this is the ground that we looked out over the night we thought that we were being attacked, as luck would have it we had a casevac at the same time. The chopper managed to get off but we then had to report to our bunker. I was now staring over the very same piece of ground again, this time from a different angle and a very different view.
As I followed the road I had this very strange hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach and for the life of me I am at a loss to explain it.
I looked to my left as I drove slowly and pinpointed places along the wall that held memories, some of which are related in the book Ops Medic. I could only get brief glimpses inside the base where the wall had fallen in and of course I could see the tops of some of the buildings and the command centre. Coming around the bend though, the first thing that came into view, as I knew it would, was the north-west bunker. Dead men had lain there, those killed during Operation Boswilger in June 1985.
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As we approached the gate I noticed that there was some activity. Once again at the urging of my family I drove up to the gate and parked.
There was a police officer at the gate,a rather surly looking character. Being polite I spoke to him and he just gave me this blank stare and started mumbling away at me in what I presumed to be Owambo. Next minute he wanders off to a tent which is situated just inside the main gate, in exactly the same place that our guard tent used to be, they were minus that portion of the wall though.
Anyway, another police officer comes out who understood english.
I greeted him and told him what I was doing. 'I used to work here a long time ago' I told him 'so I was just coming to see if this place was still here.'
'What did you do here, a long time ago?' he asked
I certainly wasn't going to get into a history lesson with this guy so I just told him that I 'worked' here. An amused expression came across his face and with a smile he said 'You mean before independance?'
I had to smile, he had read me like a book, 'Before independance' I admitted.
I did find out that Etale is now a police camp, what kind of police camp was never made clear and I wasn't going to ask, just in case the 'gat' in the command bunker was still in operation.
As we drove away Pam took a picture of the surrounding bush. All of my patrols had started and ended here in this base, and I remembered a few things that didn't get into the Ops Medic book, but those few memories are mine.
As I drove away from the base, I waved to the young woman sitting outside the cuca shop. I would never see it again and I would never see Etale again. I drove away without a glimpse backwards. On the previous two occasions that I had left Etale, I had missed the place...this time for some reason I couldn't wait to get away. I don't know what to make of that but I'm pretty sure a shrink would have a field day.
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The End
Our road home took us through Rundu. For those of you who have read Ops Medic, you will remember that in March 1985 when I first came up to the border I spent the first weekend in Rundu.
Above and to the left are the road signs indicating the military base at the Rundu airport, which if my memory serves me is where it was in 1985.
It would seem that the NDF are using some of our old bases. Along the Caprivi I saw the sign for Mpacha Military base as well.
Above and to the left are the road signs indicating the military base at the Rundu airport, which if my memory serves me is where it was in 1985.
It would seem that the NDF are using some of our old bases. Along the Caprivi I saw the sign for Mpacha Military base as well.
On this little journey of mine I realised that this was something I should have done a long time ago, why? I have no idea. I'm glad that I have been and I'm glad that I was able to share it with my family who were very supportive of my wish to see my old base again.
Where I started off in Rundu in 1985 so I end off my 'border' trip in Rundu in 2011 after almost 26 years.
In Ondangwa, It seemed to me that people were still trying to rid the town of its military stigma. It seemed that there was no cohesion. The people were also less friendly and more abrupt towards us.
But one would generally get a feeling of friendship from the people throughout the country. Most of the population spoke Afrikaans so it was like driving through some little dorpie in the back of beyond in South Africa. But the general public is the same all over the world. What makes a country stand out as far as I am concerned is the overall perception portrayed by its officials, and Namibia gets an eight from me.
Unlike in my own country where they take every opportunity to remind us that the failures of the present are as a result of the past, and refuse to acknowledge twenty odd years of history as if it never happened, the Namibians are exactly the opposite, they embrace their past and all people who took part in it, as was evidenced on a Carte Blanche program not so long ago.
Namibia is a great place to visit; if you haven’t been then I suggest you go. Like Botswana, anti-corruption is an active program in Namibia not just a slogan. All I can say to the governing party in Namibia, SWAPO, is well done! Over twenty one years you have done your country proud.
Where I started off in Rundu in 1985 so I end off my 'border' trip in Rundu in 2011 after almost 26 years.
In Ondangwa, It seemed to me that people were still trying to rid the town of its military stigma. It seemed that there was no cohesion. The people were also less friendly and more abrupt towards us.
But one would generally get a feeling of friendship from the people throughout the country. Most of the population spoke Afrikaans so it was like driving through some little dorpie in the back of beyond in South Africa. But the general public is the same all over the world. What makes a country stand out as far as I am concerned is the overall perception portrayed by its officials, and Namibia gets an eight from me.
Unlike in my own country where they take every opportunity to remind us that the failures of the present are as a result of the past, and refuse to acknowledge twenty odd years of history as if it never happened, the Namibians are exactly the opposite, they embrace their past and all people who took part in it, as was evidenced on a Carte Blanche program not so long ago.
Namibia is a great place to visit; if you haven’t been then I suggest you go. Like Botswana, anti-corruption is an active program in Namibia not just a slogan. All I can say to the governing party in Namibia, SWAPO, is well done! Over twenty one years you have done your country proud.
